


✶ 𝓙𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓶 ✶

by Arthuria_PenDragon



Series: ❦ 𝕂𝕟𝕊: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 ❦ [13]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: 5 Times, 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Kuroko Tetsuya, Badass, Badass Kuroko Tetsuya, Canon Rewrite, Crack Treated Seriously, Dissing, Gen, GoM as a Family, Headcanon, Hidden Talents, My own little Headcanon, Not Canon Compliant, One Shot, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Friends, Possessive Generation of Miracles, Protective Generation of Miracles, READ NOTES, Secrets, Team as Family, Why Did I Write This?, Winter Cup (Kuroko no Basuke), Wordcount: Under 10.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:48:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29108082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arthuria_PenDragon/pseuds/Arthuria_PenDragon
Summary: “I’m nothing like the other five.”— Kuroko Tetsuya, KnB: ep 2•• ━━━━━ •✶• ━━━━━ ••But what if Kuroko wasexactlylike them, like the Kiseki... In terms of skill?Five times during the Winter Cup, when Kuroko shows his skills...And one time everyone finally understandswhySeirin gets talked down on, by the “legendary” Middle School team.
Relationships: Akashi Seijuurou & Kuroko Tetsuya & Kiseki no Sedai | Generation of Miracles, Generation of Miracles & Generation of Miracles, Generation of Miracles & Kuroko Tetsuya, Kiseki no Sedai | Generation of Miracles & Kuroko Tetsuya
Series: ❦ 𝕂𝕟𝕊: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪 ❦ [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2021426
Comments: 36
Kudos: 221





	✶ 𝓙𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓶 ✶

**Author's Note:**

> The major difference here, is that Seirin does not know Kuroko´s full skillset/arsenal. The only abilities they’ve seen, are Misdirection and Ignite Pass. Kuroko also has the rest of his moves we know from the series, but Seirin/the other teams don´t know it. The Miragen know what Kuroko can do, but even they see the other, stronger moves rarely.  
> Also, to fit with this One Shot/AU, I changed Winter Cup scores, just a little... Also, Akashi won´t be changing personalities at the end, so he will still have heterochromia. Why? Becuase the GoM are like family to each other here, plus I think it´s damn cool, that he intimidates the hell out of everyone and only the GoM can handle him. 😁  
> And NO, I´ve no idea what THIS is... I just can´t get enough of BAMF Kuroko... and on top of it, it´s goddamn easy/convenient to imagine, that he´s holding back in the series... so this was born. Besides, it fits with my new, favourite headcanon (altough, it´s not so new in the fandom itself, but rare). 😁  
> But, by no means should this one shot be taken completely seriously... It's leaning towards Crack, I think, the more you read...

**_Seirin Kōkō VS Shūtoku Kōkō_**

Midorima cursed in the back of his mind. It was the last break before the last quarter. The fourth quarter would be tough, Midorima decided.

“Relax Shin-chan, we can still win. They’re not bad, but we’re better.” Takao told him.

Midorima’s green eyes lingered on Seirin and he caught Kuroko’s eyes from across the court. The usually passive mask was still in place, but Kuroko’s blue eyes were alight with icy fire and Midorima felt a chill run down his spine.

This would be the last quarter and Kuroko was getting serious. _Shit._

“No. We’re done for.” he whispered hauntedly.

“Why you’d say that?“ his Captain asked, “Just cause the redhead can jump and intercept your shots, we’re _not_ done for. We can still score. They’re not bad, but we’re better.”

“I said, _we’re done for_.“ the Shooting Guard hissed, “Kuroko’s been stalling all this time. We forced Seirin into a corner and now... _now_ the beast’s going to show his fangs. If — _when_ Kuroko gets serious, it’s over. I won’t be able to stop him and Takao won’t, either.”

“Seirin’s 11, correct?“ his coach asked. Midorima nodded.

“Yes, him. He’s coming back for the last quarter and he’s out for blood.“ Midorima swallowed, as his eyes lingered on the other.

“His Misdirection or whatever you called it, is good, but Takao can keep track of him...”

Midorima shook his head, green eyes glinting with wariness. “Kuroko’s capable of much, _much more_ , than what you’ve seen or what Seirin has seen so far if I had to guess. He rarely plays dead serious... but when he _does_ , the only one, who has just a little chance to stop him, is Akashi. Takao won’t manage and I won’t either. This match is Seirin’s...”

As they walked back onto the court, Midorima felt the chills running all over him. Kuroko’s eyes were focused and as icy, as the North pole. He paused for a moment, wondering what might have pissed the teal off so much... and then realised.

He remembered what Oha Asa had predicted this morning. _Today is Aquarius’ lucky day, but they should not be angered under any circumstance. Scorpio should stay the farthest from Aquarius, otherwise, they risk great misfortune, that shall follow them for a long while._

“Takao?“ he called, as the others took their spot.

“What?“

“It was a pleasure to know you.” he said gravely, as he readjusted his glasses.

“Oi, Shin-chan!“ the Power Guard wailed, “Why are you talking like I’m going to die or something?!”

“Because after this match... you might as well be dead. But maybe so might I be...” he murmured.

And then, the game started again. Takao marked Kuroko, but Midorima had no illusions. The moment Kuroko had the ball... nope. _No_. Don’t think of that. Don’t _let_ Kuroko have the ball, he told himself.

But then Kuroko managed to steal the ball from Miyaji... “You idiot!“ Midorima wailed in panic, “ _Don’t let Kuroko have the freaking ball!“_

He saw as Takao moved to block Kuroko, but the teal... well, for once, Kuroko **_smirked_** — _shit, shit, shit... Oha Asa be merciful!_ — and with a perfectly executed Vanishing Drive, or whatever he had named it... he sped past Takao.

Midorima moved to stop him, but the Phantom just smiled. “You have sharp eyes, Shintarō... but no matter how good your grasp is when shadows slip through your fingers.”

And then he was gone. Midorima fumbled on his feet to catch up, but Kuroko had let Seirin in on his little trick, or at least his plan because Kiyoshi was right by the basket and he snatched the ball from the air, which Kuroko had passed and dunked it in.

And that was the last quarter. Strategically positioned Seirin players — namely Kiyoshi and their Captain, who got the ball from Kuroko in the last minute. Kuroko... who was, by now, nought but a ghost on the court, because no one seemed to be able to predict, where he would pop up. Takao was in a complete panic, not understanding how he could have lost Kuroko and Midorima was feeling _the chill._

The chill, which was rapidly descending the court, as the clock ticked by, Kuroko slipping trough their defence, as if he wasn’t even there. Of course, the rest of his team, Midorima noted, had caught up somewhat and did their best to shut down the others...

But it was useless because the buzzer signalled the end of the game. Seirin won.

The teams lined up and bowed and Midorima noticed how everyone was staring at Kuroko, eyes like saucers, mouths perfectly imitating fish out of water. Midorima just sighed and walked over to his teammate (because once of Teikō is always of Teikō and the six of them— plus Momoi, so it was _seven_ — were _still_ a team).

“Good game, Tetsu.” he called, offering a hand.

Seirin and Shūtoku all blinked at him owlishly, but Midorima ignored them. The teal had always been amazing and it was fascinating to watch when he allowed himself some freedom.

Kuroko smiled and shook hands with him. “Likewise, Shintarō.”

Midorima let his hand drop and looked at the still-stunned Seirin members before he glanced at his teal-haired teammate. “Man them up, if you want to play against Akashi. As good as you are, you can’t drag them to the finals _alone_. It’s _you_ , who always said basketball was a team sport, so...”

Kuroko hummed. “Yes, yes. I know. Don’t worry.”

“Win for me too, will you?”

Kuroko nodded slowly, a tiny smirk playing on his lips and some Seirin members choked (“Pinch me, cause I’m dreaming! Kuroko’s smirking! _Smirking!_ ”). “Ah, of course, I will. I have a bet to win, now don’t I?”

Midorima shook his head, giving Seirin one last look. “You know, if it wasn’t for you, they’d be out of the game by now, right?“ he sighed, “Kami... I still don’t know _why_ haven’t you gone to Kaijō or Tōō with one of the two. Or if you wanted to play this _fairly_ , as you put it... why not choose a _decent_ school at least?“

“Shintarō!“ the teal reprimanded him.

Midorima shrugged. “What? You expect me to be _okay_ with you going to a backwater school? Kami... they don’t know half of what you can do and it’s annoying to watch you hold back so much. Ahh... at least I know what Kise’s problem was...”

“You’re being overdramatic.” the teal said, crossing his arms.

“I’m being _honest.“_ he corrected, “That’s different. Nonetheless... good luck in the next round. Oh and Tetsu?“ he called, as he started walking off.

The teal raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“Watch out for Kirisaki. The General that plays in their colours... well, Akashi had looked into him and there’s nothing good. Not that you need _luck_...“ he snorted at his own words, (Kuroko? Needing luck against someone? _Ridiculous_.) “...but still. Keep an eye out.”

“I’ll keep your warning in mind,” Kuroko said.

Satisfied with those words, Midorima walked off the court, but not before stealing one last glance at the red numbers of the scoreboard.

**107 — 104**

Ah well. It had been a good match at least.

They were already in the locker room when he realised the deathly silence. No one said a word, only the shuffling of clothes and shoes was heard.

“Hey... Shin-chan... you never said Tet-chan could be _that_ good.” Takao said.

Midorima glared at him, hard. “ _One_ , don’t call him “Tet-chan”, because I won’t bother saving you from a slow and painful death if Aomine — or Tetsu himself, hears it and _two_ , I warned you that he’s dangerous. A determined Kuroko Tetsuya — well, only two things are worse, than Kuroko Tetsuya, when he’s determined.”

Silence in the locker.

“And what are those?“ Takao asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Kuroko or Akashi, when they’ve decided they’re going to kill someone,” he muttered, recalling that day... no, _no_. Better _not_ remember **_that_** day.

“What had that been anyway?“ Miyaji asked. “The kid just disappeared!”

Midorima gave the blonde a look. “Kuroko wasn’t our _Phantom Sixth Man_ in Teikō for nothing. Anyone who believes, that he’s gotten onto the First String because he became best friends with Aomine or because he impressed Akashi the first time they met... ah, well those people are _idiots_. Kuroko was — is the best of us all, in a lot of things. He taught us a lot of things and we owe several victories to him. Before we became known as the _Kiseki no Sedai_... it was him and Akashi, who led us to victory.”

He grabbed his bag and remembered their last year in Teikō. When they had almost slipped apart, consumed by victories and their pride. It had been Kuroko, who snapped their sense back, just after that last disastrous Nationals. It had been that game... well, they crushed the other team — Meikō. Kuroko hadn’t played then, due to injury.

But _after_... Midorima shivered.

Kuroko had been angry. Very, _very_ angry and that was the day when the six of them ( _yes_ , even Akashi) swore never to anger Kuroko Tetsuya ever again. That was the day when they’d learned not only to respect but to _fear_ Tetsu. Especially if the teal was pissed.

“You could have said something...” his coach insisted.

Midorima gave a sour smile and cut the man off. “You would not have believed me. I warned Takao, that he’s dangerous, but even Takao ignored me. Tetsu — Kuroko Tetsuya is very, _very_ much like we are. He deserved his spot on Teikō’s First String. A monster on the court, if he wants to be. If he’s given reason.”

And with those words, Midorima walked off.

* * *

_**Seirin Kōkō VS Tōō Gauken** _

Aomine saw it. He saw the cold fire in his Shadow’s eyes, as they walked down from the court for half time.

“ _Ahomine_!” Satsuki growled, whacking him across the head, to the surprise of Tōō. “Don’t you know when to shut up!“

“Oii, Satsuki don’t...!” Aomine snarled, but the girl side-stepped his half-hearted slap, grabbed his wrist and forced him to face Seirin’s bench.

“Look. _Look you aho!_ “ she wailed, “You and your big mouth. Look at Tetsu!”

Aomine had noticed the fire in Tetsu growing trough the match, but he honestly just thought the teal was in a fighting mood. But now, gazing across the court...

Their eyes met. Dark blue on light blue...

... and Aomine recoiled as if he’d been physically hit. Tetsu’s face was carefully blank, but his eyes were as cold, as ice and the way he folded his hands together and placed his chin on them, while sitting, every muscle in his body taut, ready to spring the moment they could... it was completely Akashi-like. And whenever Tetsu acted like Akashi it meant _slaughter_.

“ _Fuck_.“ he choked, taking a step back.

“Aomine, language!” Imayoshi scolded him.

Aomine gulped, looking at his sister in all, but blood. “Satsuki? Tell my parents I loved them and... tell Kise he may have that... you know which book he asked for last time, right? Tell him he can have it.“ he glanced at Tetsu again, “ _I’m dead_.”

“Why so overdramatic?“ Susa asked.

Aomine swallowed hard again, slightly freaked out and he made a gesture at Seirin’s bench. “My... my last comment may have pissed off Tetsu. It’s true because Seirin don’t know a thing about him and they’re a backwater school and I told him as much, but it still pissed him off. Royally so. And when Tetsu’s _pissed_ , someone’s going to be begging for their lives on the court.”

“And since it was _Aho_ mine, who pissed Tetsu off...“ Satsuki cut in, “it’s going to be him. Oh and we’re losing this match. All thanks to _Ahomine_ pissing off Tetsu.” she added, a small shiver going through her form.

“No... everyone can be stopped, no one’s infallible.“ Imayoshi said, his glasses glinting.

Aomine and Momoi shared a look and the Ace shivered. “No one’s infallible, you’re right about that. But I’m sure you know how the saying goes. Don’t poke a sleeping lion... sadly for us, for _me_ , Tetsu’s not a lion, but a damn _monster_ , if he wants to be.“

They went back to the court and Aomine marked Kagami again because, despite his warnings, Imayoshi still chose to mark Tetsu. Well, if his Captain wanted to die... Aomine wasn’t going to stop him. Imayoshi dying was better than _him_ dying...

And then, Tetsu used his Vanishing Drive on Imayoshi and Aomine almost laughed at the flabbergasted look on the Third Year’s face. Tetsu may be a Phantom, but he was still one of the _Kiseki_ and he deserved his spot on the team.

Then, Tetsu passed, but one of his foolish teammates messed up and the ball went to Tōō again. Seeing his chance, Aomine dodged Kagami and moved towards Seirin’s basket. Sakurai thankfully noticed him and passed him the ball. Aomine dodged both players, who marked him, but Kagami was there...

Aomine waited, waited and waited and then shot. The ball flew high into the air and even before it could land, Aomine whirled away to move towards the middle again — ah, he might be acting like Midorima, not even looking at the ball, as it fell, but Aomine _knew_ it would score. A moment later the buzzer went off and Aomine allowed himself a spark of satisfaction.

Noticing that Kagami was moving toward Tōō’s basket, Aomine shot forwa— _wait_ , **_where_ **was Tetsu?

“Kuroko!” Kagami called.

Aomine noticed the redhead just under their basket, but he didn’t care. He whirled around and noticed, that Tetsu stood under Seirin’s basket, a murderous look in his eyes. That stance... Aomine’s breath hitched and ignoring Kagami, he dodged his own teammates, as he ran towards the teal.

“That’s not gonna happen Tetsu!” he called.

“Try to stop me, Daiki!” he challenged and the ball sped forwards. He knew that beautiful, deadly move.

_Ignite Pass: Kai_

Aomine threw his hand out, intent on stopping it. They were no longer on the same team, but Aomine still remembered how to catch his brother’s passes — Tetsu was _his_ Shadow, _his brother_ and the kami were the witnesses, Seirin knew _nothing_ about the teal.

Sadly for him, he miscalculated. He felt his hand get grazed by the rough, spinning ball, but _damn_ —! He’d been too close... he felt the crack of the bone in his hand, as the ball hit, slowed down but moved towards Kagami still.

Kagami caught it, cursing Kuroko loudly for the “freaking powerful pass that’s going to snap my wrist damn it“ before he scored. Aomine almost snorted, just moments after Kagami landed.

Because Tetsu had just snapped _his_ hand...

 _Shit._ He shouldn’t have pissed Tetsu off. As Seirin moved once more Aomine ignored the pain in his hand and tried his best to relax, sinking into Zone, as he snatched the ball from Kagami... but then the pain shot through his hand.

He cried out, dropping the ball, eyes narrowed. Shit. It was really broken — or at least strained. Whatever. He wasn’t playing any more today...

He signalled to Satsuki for a time out and when it was given, a medic came over. Grouchily, Aomine plopped on the bench, aware of the shocked looks of his teammates, as the medic checked his swelling hand.

Both teams lingered in confusion as the woman stood up. “Two broken fingers. You’re certainly not playing anymore in this tournament,” she said.

Everyone was gaping and Aomine grunted, looking at the Phantom. “Fuck it Tetsu! I knew I pissed you off and damn it okay... I shouldn’t have. Sorry! But must you have broken my bones? It hurts like hell!”

Even more shocked looks and disbelieving chokes. Tetsu looked sheepish, but only for a moment. “For one, you know I hate when you say _those_ sort of things, Daiki. For another, _you_ of all people should know the best when and _when not_ to distance mark me. Not my fault you miscalculated the angle.”

Aomine grunted. “Damn it all. If you’re going to walk over Tōō starting now... at least do me the favour and _win_ the freaking Winter Cup, will you? And hold your passes damn it, or both of our teams will have broken bones, not just me. I got lucky with two fingers, but one like that... if I hadn’t touched _that_ , distance or not... the fucking thing _would_ have snapped Kagami’s wrist as he told you and _we both know it._ “ he said, nodding to the redhead, “And it’s not like I have any intentions of helping, cause really, you’re _too good_ for Seirin... but if you snap _their_ wrists with passes like that, you’re not gonna win.”

Tetsu rolled his eyes. “I know, _Dai_. And I have no intention of injuring my teammates. I didn’t mean for _that_ to happen either, but...”

Aomine waved him off. “Yeah, yeah. I pissed you off. _Sorry_ , shouldn’t have said it that way.“ he frowned, as the woman finished securing his fingers, “Still. You know I’m _right_ — this...“ he raised his bandaged hand, “...is the proof, that you’re better than you let on.”

The game proceeded and just as Aomine predicted after he was forced to sit out, Seirin — or more like Tetsu— walked over Tōō. He watched, as the Phantom disappeared and reappeared passing to Kagami and Kiyoshi, this time consciously holding back on the strength of his passes.

“He’s really holding back the strength, doesn’t he?“ Aomine looked at his coach with a raised eyebrow. The man glanced at him and continued. “Even before... he’s been holding back on the strenght, wasn’t he? Before he broke your hand.”

Aomine snorted, eyes slipping back onto the court, as he watched Tōō’s defence crumble, now that no one could properly follow Tetsu. Imayoshi could see him, but the Third Year was wary now, having seen what an improperly handled pass could do. Aomine thought it had taken goddamn long for his new team to figure out, but then again, they didn’t know Tetsu at all. Imayoshi thought he had the edge, just because he figured out Misdirection... no. Akashi could follow Tetsu and so could Aomine. But if the Shadow wanted, both him and Akashi went down... just give Tetsu enough time to figure out a proper strategy. Or give him a reason to let his monster free.

He looked at the coach again.

“Of course he was. Tetsu is one of the _Kiseki no Sedai_ with a reason. Phantom Sixth... we may have outshone him, but that was because he let us outshine him. He _chose_ to be the Phantom he is. Tetsu’s just as good at what he does, like the rest of us — maybe better. _Monsters,_ some called us, when we stepped onto the court. It may be true... but the most dangerous monster is the one, that sleeps most of the time. And Tetsu’s inner monster is hard to wake. But when it happens... well, Tetsu’s just as capable of single-handedly crushing teams, as Akashi.“ he looked at the court again, watching as Tetsu dodged Sakurai, threw the ball into the air and Kagami caught it, to slam it in. “And the kami know our ex-Captain knows no mercy. And Tetsu’s his praised student...”

The final buzzer went off, snapping Aomine from his musings. Heh, considering he’d been forced to leave the court and that Tetsu was pissed... no surprise.

**101 — 95**

“Six points...“ his coach murmured, shocked.

Aomine shrugged. “And that’s why Tetsu should _never_ be pissed off.“ he muttered, “Considering I just had to leave recently... Tetsu’s been merciful, you know?”

“What...?”

Aomine stood before his coach could ask more. He’d told the man enough. Tetsu was one of them with a very, _very_ good reason.

* * *

**_Seirin Kōkō VS Yōsen Kōkō_ **

Murasakibara was in no mood to play today — especially not since Kuro-chin was on the other side of the court. Kuro-chin could be very, very scary, when he wanted to be and... well something told him, that today was not a good day, to piss off Kuro-chin. (And he didn’t even need Mido-chin’s horoscope to know _that_ , but he had a feeling, if he went and looked for Mido-chin, the Shooting Guard would say the same...)

“Pssst! Murasakibara!“ the hurried hiss of his name drew his attention. Sadly, he wasn’t the only one, who noticed, but the whole team.

Murasakibara ignored his team, as Mido-chin came closer. “Mido-chin?”

The Shooting Guard gave him a fancy purple-and-black hair band. “Today’s lucky item for Libra.”

Murasakibara groaned. If Mido-chin sneaked in, to give him _this_... He frowned and immediately grabbed his purple locks to tie them up. “We’ll be done for... won’t we, Mido-chin? Mine-chin _still_ muttered something about painful fingers and he’s taking medicine for it...”

Mido-chin shrugged. “You know how it goes, Murasakibara. Just don’t piss him off. _Ever_. And he may even be in a good mood afterwards and give you those special snacks... the ones he gets from the kami knows where. _Just don’t piss him off_.”

Murasakibara nodded. “Roger that, Mido-chin. I don’t want to _die_...” he shivered.

Mido-chin nodded. “Eh, I’d say good luck... but I told Kuroko he’s got to win for me, so...“ he shrugged again, readjusting his glasses “Anyway, do your best. And kami... if you want to stay alive, Mura, take the match _seriously_.”

The Center nodded, intending to do as told, as Mido-chin snuck off. Yōsen gave him odd looks, but he just shrugged. “Kuro-chin is dangerous, when he wants to be.” he muttered, as they walked onto the court.

Murasakibara had to addmit — Seirin were good. Well, as good as they could be. If not for Kuro-chin slipping in and out of notice, passing the ball strategically, Serin would have broken in the early moments of the game, like all the other teams they’d faced. But Kuro-chin was good, so he slipped past Yōsen’s defence rather easily.

Oh, not that the others were bad... they were better, than Murasakibara first thought. But only three people were worth his attention. Seirin’s Center, the redhead who paraded as Kuro-chin’s new Light (he wasn’t bad, but Kuro-chin should have gone with Mine-chin, _still_ ) and Kuro-chin himself.

But Seirin were begginging to panic. Murasakibara felt a spark of satisfaction at that, because Seirin were still several points behind. At the same time, as they walked off from the court, Murasakibara threw a glance at the teal and the other looked at him over his shoulder.

Murasakibara shivered, as he noticed the icy resolve in the teal’s eyes. Kuro-chin had told him Yōsen was going down... but he hadn’t believed it, until now. As he sat down, their coach started speaking about strategy, but he was only listening with half an ear.

“Seirin’s 11 will probably be benched for the next round so...”

“No.“ Murasakibara said, his purple eyes trailed on the Phantom on the other side. Kuro-chin could not enter The Zone, like Mine-chin or Aka-chin. But when he was focused, he got as close to it, as a player of his type could. That focus, combined with Kuro-chin’s strategies and his ability to read people, was more than enough.

And from time to time, Kuro-chin would do exactly what Aka-chin and Mine-chin hated so much, yet admired the teal for. Kuro-chin had an iron will and he was willing to go past his own limits for the game. Murasakibara would not addmit it out loud, but it had been his tiny, teal-haired brother, who had taught him to _love_ basketball.

The team looked at him and his coach raised an eyebrow. “What? But he’s at his limi—”

Murasakibara shook his head. “Kuro-chin was — _is_ one of the _Kiseki no Sedai_. If you think this is the end for him... you don’t know him. The others bug at him and my comment about their Center wasn’t exactly nice, either. Kuro-chin is _not_ happy and whenever he’s in a mood like that...“ he shook his head, “if we want to win, don’t let Kuro-chin touch the ball. If he touches it... _we’re done for_.” he downed the last drops of his water and stood up.

Sadly, his teammates either didn’t take him seriously or were just that helpless, against Kuro-chin’s Misdirection. Both were possible, so Murasakibara couldn’t decide _which_ was the case. But it didn’t matter.

He just barely blocked Kiyoshi and tossed the ball to his team... but Kuroko got free of his mark (why wasn’t that a surprise?). Kuroko caught the ball and Murasakibara saw that cold, determined glint in the blue eyes. He spun around to block, but the Phantom already released the ball by then and Murasakibara cursed in the privacy of his mind.

_Phantom Shot._

The net swissed and the buzzer sounded. Score for Seirin.

Everyone was staring at the Phantom with wide eyes and Murasakibara blinked. “What the fuck Kuroko?! I thought you couldn’t shoot?!“ the redhead, who was the Phantom’s new Light, shouted.

Kuro-chin cocked an eyebrow at him. “Whoever said I _couldn’t_ shoot, Kagami-kun?“

Murasakibara swallowed hard, snapping out of his daze. _Damn it_. The Phantom wanted to play tough...

When they got the ball, Murasakibara went for the offence, showing off his Thor’s Hammer. Seirin’s defence crumbled pretty easily, but just after he scored, a certain Phantom snatched the ball away. Murasakibara cursed, whirled around and sped after the teal. He caught up, but in the last moment, Kuroko passed the ball to a teammate and Murasakibara had to jump to stop it.

The ball flew out of Kiyoshi’s hand and Kuroko caught it again. Murasakibara cursed again, moving to block... but the _Phantom Shot_ had always been something he failed in blocking. Aka-chin had blocked it a few times, but then again, games between Aka-chin and Kuro-chin or Mido-chin... well, the games between those three were more about strategy, than basketball.

Murasakibara watched, half-numb as the ball went in again.

In the end, Seirin won the match, after Kuro-chin scored _once more_ and snatched the ball from him, before Murasakibara could even think about returning the favour. (Hence, the last three shorts — a total six points— went to Seirin because Kuro-chin had, at last, decided to play seriously.)

**74 — 72**

As they lined up to thank each other for the game, Murasakibara noticed the disbelieving looks Seirin were still giving the teal.

“Eeh~ Kuro-chin?“

The teal looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Yes, Murasakibara-kun?“

“Didn’t they know you were good at scoring? They looked surprised, when you got past me...”

The Phantom shrugged. “Up till this point, on one forced me to take scoring into my own hands... so _congratulations_ , Atsushi. But then again... I managed to break Dai’s fingers, even if it wasn’t exactly intentional...” he trailed off, a sheepish look passing trough his features, just for a moment.

Murasakibara frowned, looking at Seirin, as he walked over to the teal and gave him a loose hug. “Mido-chin and Mine-chin were right. You’re too good for this team. They don’t even know you.”

“Atsushi!” the teal scolded, giving him a look.

Murasakibara shrugged. “I’m not gonna apologise, Kuro-chin. Aka-chin said we should never apologise for the truth and _it is_ the truth. You’re _better_ than them. You’re holding back... if it wasn’t for them...” he made a general gesture towards Yōsen, “irritating you, you would just have been fine with passing the ball around. That’s not all you can do and we _all_ know it. They...” he pointed at Seirin, “are dragging you down. Holding you back.”

The teal sighed. “ _Atsushi_.“ he took a step back, “It’s nice playing with them and I think we already had a discussion about you talking down on someone’s efforts, while playing.”

Murasakibara shrugged. “I’m not talking down on anyone, Tet-chin. I’m stating a fact. You should look for a better team — or at the very least, if you want to stay with them, they should have let you become the Captain.”

The shorter male shrugged. “I’m too drained for this conversation. Let’s continou this some other time. Good game, by the way.” he gave a tiny smile.

Murasakibara smiled back and nodded. “It’s fun playing against you, Tet-chin... hm, do you think the six of us could meet up sometime? I miss Aka-chin...”

Kuroko hummed and nodded. “I’m sure that’s arrangeable. Sometime after the Cup, okay? Rakuzan are no slouch and if we get past Kaijō... I have a feeling _someone_ will enjoy antagonising me, during that match.”

Murasakibara shrugged. “You know Aka-chin just wants the best for us all —but mostly for you. And Aka-chin is _always_ right.“ he took a step back, “Except when he isn’t... because _you_ are right, but...“ he shrugged.

The teal hummed, amused. “Yes, yes. I know. Now off you go. Change. Meet me outside, Atsushi, will you? I’ve brought some of your _favourites_.”

Murasakibara’s eyes glinted at hearing those words and the slight dissapointment from losing the match immediately evaporated. He loved those special snacks Kuro-chin’s parents sent from Europe. (Those snacks were for Kuro-chin, but Kuro-chin only ate the ones, which had vanilla in them and he gave the rest to him.) They tasted _heavenly_ —especially those chocolates.

He nodded and strode to change. The sooner he was outside, the sooner he could get the chocolates — plus, Kuro-chin, like Aka-chin, didn’t really like to be kept waiting, even if he was normally a patient person. So if he was outside sooner, than Seirin, Kuro-chin will be happy. (A happy Kuro-chin meant, that the teal might just let him have more than his normal dose of sweets a day.)

They were already in their locker room, when Murasakibara heard his Vice-Captain grumble. “Who the hell is the teal midget?! A freaking ghost?!”

Murasakibara glared, moving closer. “Do not badmouth Kuro-chin. _EVER_. Kuro-chin is one of Teikō’s regulars, like I was. And he deserved his spot on our team. He’s just like the rest of us. Call him that again and _I will crush you_. Understand?”

Fukui nodded hurriedly, obviously scared. Murasakibara glared at him, grabbed his sweater and bag and stormed out. He had to meet Kuro-chin outside.

* * *

**_Seirin Kōkō VS Kaijō Kōkō_ **

Kise plopped onto the bench at half time, tired already. “You will be staying out, during the third quarter.“ his coach told him.

Kise frowned, but nodded, as his eyes darted over to Seirin’s bench. Kurokocchi will be sitting out as well... “No. I should be going in... Kurokocchi is dangerous.”

“Dangerous? What do you mean, Kise?“ his Captain asked.

The blonde sighed and glanced at his sempai. “I meant, what I said. We’re leading, but Serin is determined. If they get into a tight spot... Kurokocchi will go back in and if that happens, we’re done for. All this time, he’s been stalling. Any more points for us and he will get serious and then...”

“Don’t talk like the match is over!” Kasamatsu growled, whacking him over the head. “It’s _not_ and we can deal with them. Rest. You’re coming back later.”

Kise didn’t say anything else, as his team walked onto the court again. His brown eyes lingered on his mentor and the Phantom matched his gaze without a flinch. His face was blank, but his eyes were burning with determination, just like during that practice match, not long after they arrived in the new schools.

Seirin had won then, too. Not because of Kurokocchi... no. Kurokocchi had been holding back too much then. Then, Seirin had won because he had not assumed, that any non-Miracle would be able to sync with Kurokocchi and he’d underestimated Kagami.

Now, he would not underestimate Kagami again, but getting past Kurokocchi would be damn hard. But he would have to try. They’d made a promise to play against each other with everything they had — to find fun in basketball again. And yep, it was _working_ because playing against high-level teams, like the ones they’ve chosen, seemed fun, especially since they knew each others’ tricks. Truly — only the best were destined to win. (And gods, he sounded like Midorimacchi just now, didn’t he?)

It was the challenge they all yearned for, but at the same time, Kise wished Kurokocchi had chosen another school. Seirin were good, he had to admit, but not good enough. They’d made it so far only because Kurokocchi was doing all the work...

The third quarter came to an end and Kise looked at the scoreboard. Seirin weren’t bowing out without a fight.

“Ready for the last quarter, Kise?“ Moriyama-sempai asked.

Kise swallowed his nervousness and nodded. “Hai, sempai.“ his eyes steeled over. He’d prove Kurokocchi just how much he’d grown since their last Nationals together.

They walked onto the court and the game resumed. The moment Kise touched the ball, they went for the offensive and he copied his teal-haired teammate. His eyes met Kasamatsu’s and understanding passed between them.

_Ignite Pass: Kai_

The pass flew trough the court... but it never reached Kasamtsu and instead stopped halfway. Kise’s eyes went wide, as he noticed, that Kurokocchi stood there, holding the ball. Seirin and Kaijō were staring wide-eyed, as Kurokocchi dropped the ball and started to dribble it lazily.

“You’re getting better, Ryōta.“ the teal’s calm, soft voice echoed through the deathly silent court, as if he were shouting. He started walking slowly, bringing the ball with him and in that moment, Kise had a feeling that out of the two of them, _Kurokocchi_ was the copycat, because _damn it,_ he looked just like Akashicchi, when the redhead was pissed and had just gotten past a few players with Ankle Break, who were more annoyance, than a challenge.

“But not good enough. I can get past you and we both know it.“ Kurokocchi stated calmly.

Kise’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not done yet, Kurokocchi!” he moved forward, trying to catch the teal with one of Aomine’s moves, but the teal side-stepped and passed the ball behind his back from one hand to another...

... and Kise stumbled, just as the teal took off at full speed and even before anyone could react, a _Phantom Shot_ went right into the basket.

And that was the entire quarter. Kise trying to get the ball and every single time, Kurokocchi appearing in front of him, taking apart his movements by the seams — stepping in the right direction at the right moment, distance marking him just the right moment to snatch the ball away...

The teal barely even allowed him to touch the ball, after a third try and whether he tried one of Akashicchi’s or Aominecchi’s moves, it didn’t matter. The Phantom’s eyes saw every twitch and he moved accordingly. Kise could barely breathe, much less get rid of his mentor, to help his teammates with the match.

After the fifth minute of the Fourth Quarter, his coach called for a time out and his team shuffled onto the court, shocked.

“W-what the Hell, Kise? He shut you down completely...“ Nakamura murmured.

Kise sighed, rubbing his face. “Yes, yes he did. Kurokocchi is much more than what he seems. Don’t forget he got onto the First String of Teikō a few months after Aominecchi and the others. Plus, he _had_ been Aominecchi’s partner for three years — you need _skill,_ to keep up with Aominecchi. And Kurokocchi has the skill and strategical knowledge in spades, even if he does not flaunt it the way Aominecchi or even Akashicchi does, in Rakuzan. Kurokocchi is the most underhanded out of us all — he’s called a Phantom for a reason.”

“Will you be able to deal with him?“ his coach asked.

Kise blinked at the man and gave a sour smile. “Maybe in a hundred years, kantoku. Remember, he broke Aominecchi’s hand. It wasn’t intentional, but he _still_ did. The only one, who can get past Kurokocchi is Akashicchi. Or Midorimacchi... but whenever Kurokocchi wants something _badly,_ not even the apocalypse will stop him from getting it. And he wants to win the Winter Cup.”

He looked at the teal on the other side. “Do you know what the Club in Teikō called him?“ he asked softly.

“Phantom Sixth?“ Kasamatsu offered, “That’s what he became known as...”

“Close, but not exactly, sempai. The Club members called him _Phantom Prince_. Akashicchi... had been nicknamed _Emperor_ after his Emperor Eye and his overwhelming skill and knowledge. Him being our Captain was just the extra. And Kurokocchi had been Akashicchi’s student, so they nicknamed him Phantom Prince. The Phantom Sixth stuck... because the outsiders didn’t know Akashicchi’s Teikō nickname or how those two were... connected. But trust me... there’s no better moniker, than the ones used to describe Kurokocchi and Akashicchi. They’re a force to be reckoned with. They _rule_ the court, if — when they feel like it. Seirin is nowhere near Kurokocchi’s level... but his strategical knowledge is enough to help them out. And he can stop me, which is another bonus.“ he sighed, “Let’s finish this. It’s not going to be easy, but I’d be damned if I let Kurokocchi win so easily...”

Kise felt the eyes of his teammates on him, but he didn’t care. He would do his best and he _would_ prove Kurokocchi, that he’d grown, as a player.

Getting back into the game was a nightmare, but he realised, that Kurokocchi wasn’t on him so tightly, like before. He received the ball from Hayakawa and Kise drove down the court, intending to score, when Kurokocchi appeared before him, a soft smile on his face. Kise cursed and tried to dodge past the teal, only for Kurokocchi to snap it away.

“I’m proud of you, Ryōta... but this match is _ours_.“ and then, he was gone.

Kise cursed and shouted to his teammates to watch out... Kasamatsu tried distance marking Kurokocchi, only for the teal to drive closer anyway and even before the referee could warn him, that he was too close, Kurokocchi threw the ball...

...wait, it wasn’t a Phantom Shot, like before...

Kise cursed, having forgotten about Kagami. The redhead jumped up, caught the pass in the air and slammed the ball in.

The sound of the buzzer filled the place and Kise’s eyes darted to the red numbers.

**83 — 80**

Oh, well... it had at least been fun.

They lined up and thanked each other for the game. Kise’s eyes lingered on his mentor, unsure for a moment. “T-Tetsucchi?“

The Phantom looked up, gave him a small smile and to Kise’s shock, hugged him. It was brief, but it conveyed all the warmness and affection Kurokocchi was feeling and Kise’s heart warmed at it. His brother was happy and that made Kise happy, despite the lost match. “Good game, Ryōta. Seems like being with Kaijō did you good.“

Kise beamed down at him. “Yea, I like it here a lot...“ his eyes darted over to Seirin, “...but seriously, Tetsucchi... you should have chosen a better school. You’ve been dragging them all over the place.“ he grunted annoyed, “You’re doing all the work.”

“Ryōta.”

Kise gave him an incredulous look. “What now? You said teamwork comes first! It’s not teamwork if _you’re_ doing all of it!“ he flailed, “At least back at Teikō, you had Momoicchi, Akashicchi and Aominecchi...!”

 _“Ryōta.“_ he called again, tone sharper and Kise clamped his mouth shut. A pissed off Kuroko Tetsuya meant, that quite possibly someone would die. _Kise didn’t want to be that someone._

He huffed sulkily. “Gomen’nasai. But I still think you should get a better team. Go to Rakuzan or Tōō... or come to Kaijō...”

The teal’s eyes narrowed and Kise huffed again, pouting. He knew he was being childish, but _Kurokocchi deserved so much better_ than a bunch, who’d just started playing last year...

Kurokocchi nodded, satisfied. “Better. I like being around Seirin and you don’t have to worry about me. I can handle myself.”

Kise sighed in resignation, but his eyes narrowed on Seirin. “My opinion of you didn’t change from the first meeting, so just you know.“ he stated coolly, “Kurokocchi’s so much better than you all... and if you hurt a hair on his head, you’ll wish you’ve never heard of the _Kiseki no Sedai_.”

Before anyone from Seirin could say anything — or before Kurokocchi could scold him again,— Kise whirled on his heels and marched off the court, towards their locker room.

He was half changed when Kasamatsu asked the question he’d been expecting and dreading at the same time.

“How did he shut you down so easily, Kise?“

Kise shook his head. “Kurokocchi’s observant. He reads people like you read books. That’s the base of his style. Besides, he’s a lot more skilled, than he lets on. He wasn’t on the First String because he smiled sweetly at the coaches.“ he said.

 _‘And it was Kurokocchi who helped me develop and perfect my style after he realised I play similarly to Haizaki. Kurokocchi knows my moves the way he knows his own. And he has more experience in basketball and strategy than I do.‘_ he thought. However, he didn’t say that.

Kaijō didn’t need to know everything. (It seemed, Kurokocchi hadn’t even revealed the truth about himself to Seirin, if the way they stared at his mentor and brother, was any clue. If Kurokocchi chose to keep a few secrets, Kise wasn’t one to judge and he certainly won’t reveal those secrets, either.

When he was done, he grabbed his bag and nodded to his teammates. “See you at school. I’m afraid I’ll have some things to take care of.“

And he slipped out, even before they could speak.

* * *

**_Seirin Kōkō VS Rakuzan Kōkō_ **

Akashi Seijūrō sighed, as the Third quarter of the game came to an end. They were leading, but he had no illusions. He could shut down Tetsuya, but Tetsuya could very well do the same to him and he had already overwritten Chihiro...

This would not be an easy thing. (But then again, was it not _fun_ and _challenge_ they’d been looking for in the game? Was it now why they’d split up, even after Tetsuya had beaten sense into them all, before their own pride and skill ate them from the inside out?) Tetsuya... he had always been the best of them, Akashi mused. The Phantom hadn’t allowed his skill and pride to blind him, not even for a moment. Tetsuya had stopped them from slipping into the dark, lonely hole of painting themselves superior to everyone. It had been a fleeting idea... to split up... but in the end, it had been the right choice even if he dearly missed all his teammates — _siblings_.

“Seirin’s 11 is surprisingly good.“ his coach noted, “He play similarly to Chihiro, yet...“

Akashi hummed. “I taught him Misdirection, just like I taught Chihiro.“ he said, stealing a glance at the silver-haired Power Forward, before his gaze slipped back onto the teal. He could feel the eyes of all the team on him, but he only gazed at the other side, where Tetsuya was resting. (Surely, the teal wouldn’t be so reckless to come back for another quarter, when he’d just played?) “But Tetsuya... well, he surprised us all, even in Teikō. With all his skills. I taught him to play basketball in that unique, borderline professional way, he does. Well, professional as much as someone our age _can_ get... but in the end, he’s exceeded all my calculations and expectations. If there is anyone from Teikō, who can be my match, that’s him. I can pick apart the way he plays... but he has that uncanny ability of unpredictability...“ he took another sip of water.

“Will you be able to deal with him, Sei-chan?“ Reo asked.

Akashi gave a soft snort. “I know him just as much, as he knows me, Reo. Now that he’s overwritten Chihiro, only I can stop him an I’ve no intention of giving him a win. And even if he does somehow outsmart me, I’ll make Seirin sweat and bleed, before I hand them the crown. Tetsuya is good. _Very good_ at what he does, in fact. But Seirin are too weak for him. He’s much better, than them —he cannot use his abilites to the full extent and that is his biggest weakness at the moment. And even if they do somehow win... I will make sure Seirin remembers, that the only reason they hadn’t crumbled before Daiki and Tōō... or on the way here, is because Tetsuya’s too damn good heart and instead of being a little selfish and chosing a team fit for his skills, he’d let his soft heart guide him _to a bunch of inexperienced kittens, who should be playing with skein instead of a basketball_.”

Rakuzan stared warily at the redhead, feeling the killer intent rolling off of him. “U-uh, Sei-chan?“ the Vice-captain called softly, “Are... are you okay?“

“Yes. _No_. I’m not alright, because I can’t watch one of my former teammates wasting away his skills with a batch, like Seirin. Let’s win this, so I can beat some common sense into Tetsuya about his life choices...“ he hissed, dropping his bottle on the bench.

He stood up, took a deep breath to calm down and then walked onto the court, just at the break was called to an end.

However, his plan was easier said, than done. Tetsuya could keep up with him, after all and not only in speed — Daiki was faster than him, he will freely addmit _that_ and Tetsuya had kept up with Daiki, as his Shadow,— but in strategy as well. True, Tetsuya lacked stamina and he had a feeling, that the Phantom will be passing out by the time this match was over... but he had the speed. And Tetsuya knew him well enough, to anticipate his tricks.

Still, he wouldn’t let this game slip from his grasp without a fight.

He sped towards the basket, dodging and flooring Seirin’s players on the way, but then Tetsuya appeared in front of him, nearly undetectable, like the Phantom he was and they stared at each other for a moment.

“I won’t let you win so easily, brother.“ he breathed softly, “It’s time for someone else to wear your crown, Emperor.”

Akashi snorted at the little inner joke of theirs, mismatched eyes glinting with mirth. “Come and try to take it, _Princeling_.”

Akashi switched hands and tried dodging past the teal, but then, in the last moment, he noticed the smirk on his face. He blinked and then Tetsuya was gone speeding towars their basket, ball in hand, Seirin lingering on the sidelines ready to support him — it seemed, by now they were catching up and realising, that Tetsuya was capable of much, _much_ more than he had originally shown. (About time.)

Akashi ran after him and jumped to block, but the balll slipped and fell into the hoop...

And the trend continoued till the very last minutes. For every basket they made, Seirin responded in kind and at the very end, Tetsuya evaded Kotarō and passed to Taiga, who slammed in a dunk, just moments before the buzzer sounded.

**106 — 105**

Akashi breathed out softly, as he looked at the glaring red numbers. Ah... so it seemed Tetsuya won the bet they’d made right before graduation. Akashi was equal parts happy and annoyed. Happy for his brother’s win, like every sibling (because every good sibling celebrated their brothers’/sisters’ good fortune). But at the same time annoyed, because now no amount of reasoning or naggig will convince Tetsuya, that Seirin weren’t fit for his skills.

He wrinkled his nose in annoyance, as Seirin broke out in celebrations, just a little farther away. His own teammates seemed a little disheartened and he felt bad — especially for Chihiro, who’d be leaving the team with a loss on his hands, when they hadn’t lost any other match this year.

He walked over to his team giving them a forlorn look. “Looks like we’ll have to snatch back the cup next year.“ he said sounding calmer, than he felt.

“Ah, think nothing of it, Akashi.“ Eikichi waved at him, “it was the most fun game we had in a while.”

“Indded.“ Reo agreed, “It was scary and fascinating to watch, how you and your ex-teammate move around each other, you know.”

Akashi hummed. “Ah, he deserved his spot on the team just fine. One of Teikō’s First String, without question.”

“That he is.“ Chihiro agreed. “It was equal parts annoying and exciting to play someone so similar to me.“

Akashi hummed. “Trust me, I know the feeling. He plays like you, yes, but he thinks a lot like I and Shintarō do and that as you know, had been the end of Shūtoku as well. He’s skilled, but he does not have the raw talent, that the Generals or even Daiki have. He has talent _obviously_ , but... What he knows... most of it had been learned and perfected trough endless hours of training. What he lacked in natural talent, compared to the rest of us... he made up for it in determination.”

“And that’s something to be respected in a player.“ their coach noted, “Well played, all of you.”

Akashi nodded. “Yes, that’s the reason why we’ve all come to respect Tetsuya.”

They lined up at the end, to thank for the game and Akashi shook hands with his student and right-hand with a small smirk. “Well played, Tetsuya.”

“Same, Seijūrō. I do hope to play against you next year.”

Akashi smirked. “And I’ll be taking the crown back, Princeling.”

“Princeling, am I? _We_ have the crown now...“ Tetsuya jabbed. For a long moment, they stared at one another and then started snickering at their own joke. Their teams and coaches were staring, but Akasih didn’t really care...

But then Tetsuya stumbled, his exhaustion catching up and Akashi insitinctively shifted the teal-haired male, to support him. Seirin flailed in panic at the sight, but Akashi sent a glare at them and they remained where they were. He looked at the teal with a disapproving frown.

“See, Tetsuya? I _told you_ they’re not fit for your skill-level. Shintarō was rigtht when he said you’d be dragging Seirin trough the entire thing.”

The teal blinked at him. “Don’t be like that, Sei... they’re a good batch. Besides, we won...”

“You won.“ he said stiffly, “ _You_ , not them. It was you, who shut down Reo in the First Quarter and then it was you, who forced me to focus, more than ever before, since we left Teikō. And I’ve seen your matches, don’t forget. I stand by my earlier statement. They’re _weak_ , compared to you.”

“Oii, you arrogant bastard just because you Captianed the _Kiseki_ —!”

Akashi glared at Seirin’s redhead, who wilted like a flower. “ _Silence_. I was not speaking to you, but to Tetsuya.”

“Seijūrō.“ the teal called, “Don’t be like that. Besides, I’m too tired to save Kagami-kun, in case you decide to throw your scissors at him.“

Akashi grunted. “All the better. At least you’d be transferring to a school better fit for your skills.”

Seirin seethed and moaned at the comments, while Rakuzan just stared, but Akashi ignored them all. He stood by his earlier opinion.

Tetsuya was too good for Seirin.

* * *

**_\+ the time everything gets explained_ **

A while later, the six new teams of the _Kiseki no Sedai_ sat in a fast food restaurant, many of them busy with their food —especially players from Seirin and Rakuzan.

The seven ex-Teikō chose to claim a table for themselves and Akashi invited them (otherwise everyone else was paying for their own food, so the others were envying the _Kiseki_ a lot).

“You know...“ Mibuchi spoke up suddenly, eyeing the Teikō group, “I always thought you guys didn’t like each other anymore...?“

Six out of seven snorted in disbelief — the seventh being too preoccupied with nursing his food, milkshake _and_ trying to stay awake, to finish it. (Kuroko Tetsuya was a good player, someone who very much deserved his spot among the best, but that didn’t change the fact, that his fragile body and low presence came with lower, than average stamina.)

“You kiddin’ righ’?“ Aomine asked, as he swallowed his bite, “We’re like siblings.”

Everyone blinked owlishly at the plain, blatant addmittance coming from the normally haughty Power Forward. “Then... why go to different schools?“ asked Tōō’s coach.

“With every game we won, with every team we’ve beaten — nay, _destroyed_...“ Akashi folded his hands together, thoughtful for a moment, “the game was staring to become dull. After our last Nationals againt Meikō Chūgakkō...“

“Tetsu beat some sense into us.“ Aomine said, glancing at the half-asleep Phantom, “But after that, we decided that the only way to enjoy the game, was if we had challenge, from time to time. And we learned the hard way, that we could only challenge one another.”

“Why Kuroko?“ asked Kagami.

The five players shared a look and then Kise answred. “Tetsucchi was the only one, who wasn’t blinded by our fame. He was in the shadows too much for that.“

“Not ideal, if you ask me,“ Midorima grouched, “he _should_ be known... but at the same time, he was our saving grace. He made us realise, that we were like family and no amount of skill or fame was worth losing each other. So... we split up, yes... but we still keep contact and meet up as much, as we can.”

Everyone blinked at that, just as Kuroko raised his head. Aommine nudged him gently. “Eh, Tetsu are you alive?“

The Phantom nodded. “Hai... I’m feeling a bit better, but I’m certainly sleeping trough tomorrow. Good thing it’s weekend.“

Akashi chuckled. “At least you gave me a run for my money, Tetsuya. It was fun. But then again, it’s always fun to play against you, as fun it is to play with you.”

“Why thank you, Seijūrō. I’ll take that as a compliment, coming from my teacher.” he said with tiny smile.

“Teacher?“ Hyūga asked, blinking at Kuroko, “As in... him?“ he gestured at Akashi.

Kuroko nodded. “Of course. Daiki gave the idea for the style I use and then Seijūrō gave me the means to develop it and then helped me perfect it to the level I’m at now. And Dai...“ he gestured at the Tōō player, “along with Sei helped me learn to shoot.“

Aomine groaned at that. “Those were painful afternoons...”

Kuroko glared. “ _Shut up, Daiki_. You’ve no right to bark about it. It was you, who first gave the idea to Sei, that we won’t be leaving the gym, until I made eight shots out of ten. And Sei... _being Sei_ , kept it.”

Akashi hummed. “Of course, I did. But in the end, you benefitted from it, haven’t you, Tetsuya?”

Kuroko sent the redhead a withering glare, as well. “Don’t start now. I’m too damn tired for that argument.”

The other Kiseki snickered at that, while the teams just stared.

Kasamatsu cleared his troath, drawing attention to himself and putting an end to the rather one-sided glaring match between Kuroko and Akashi. “Kise said you taught him his style...” he said, nodding to Kuroko.

Kuroko grunted and Akashi decided to answer properly, taking pity on the Phantom. “Teikō’s Club was enourmous, so I had my hands full, besides, when Ryōta joined us, I’ve been a rather newly minted Captain, as our sempai had to leave suddenly. So I asked Tetsuya to help him settle in. Tetsuya noticed, that Ryōta had similar skills, like another First String member. Haizaki Shōgo, currently in Fukuda, whom you faced during the tournament. Haizaki was the typical problem student, which I’m sure you’ve realised, by the way he played. Tetsuya noticed the similarity in skills, told me and after we discussed it, I told him to mentor Ryōta and if he met Tetsuya’s standards within a given timeframe, I would place him on the First String. Tetsuya taught him and I don’t think I’ve to tell you, that Ryōta passed the skill evaluation, in the end.”

There was a moment of silence.

“What I don’t get...“ Kagami said, “Why did Kise go trough Kuroko first? Even if he was new and you were busy... shouldn’t Kise have... I don’t know, gone trough the Vice-cap of the team?“

The Kiseki stared. And stared. And stared.

BAM.

Several heads hit the wooden desk and even Akashi facepalmed.

“And we call Mine-chin an idiot.“ Murasakibara said. “Mine-chin is a _genius_ , comparered to you. Ne... Tet-chin, how could you have found a bigger idiot, than Mine-chin?”

Kuroko grunted. “I don’t know, Atsu... sometimes, just _sometimes_ — like now, I’m thinknig about transferring to Tōō. Dai’s easier to deal with.“

Several people snickered at that while Kagami wailed in indigniation at his own partner's words. Seirin were torn between laughing at Kagami and being terrified at the idea of Kuroko leaving them.

“Back to your question...“Akashi spoke, as the snickering died down, “Tetsuya was — _is_ the Vice-captain. He may be a Phantom player and so, in a sense, forever dependent on someone else... but he is just like the rest of us. A genius when it comes to basketball, in his own right. He _earned_ his spot on Teikō’s First String and he _earned_ the position of Vice-captain, too.”

Several jaws dropped at that — especially among the members of Seirin.

_“Kuroko was WHAT?!”_

“Tetsu’s our Vice-cap.“ Aomine glared, “ _Why_ do you think we all keep saying he should be with a better team? He’s _too good_ for your sub-par skills and has to hold back all the time otherwise your wrists would have snapped long ago, like dry branches!”

“If it wasn’t for Tet-chin,“ Murasakibara added eyes narrowed, “You wouldn’t have even gotten past Dai-chin, Sa-chin and Tōō. Much less the rest of us.”

“That is correct.“ Midorima muttered, green eyes sharp like a knife, as he readjusted his glasses, “The sole reason of your vicotry is Tetsu. Nothing less. Were it not for _him_ , you wouldn’t have gotten past Shūtoku... much less Tōō. And remember, the only reason you won with six points on Tōō, was because Tetsu broke Dai’s hand and after that, the rest of Tōō were wary of him, which just gave him even more chane to dominate the game in the last quarter.”

The teams stared.

And stared.

“Damn... my world just fell to tiny little pieces.“ Kagami muttered, “Kuroko never made it sound like _he_ was the Vice-cap. Damn it, I honestly thought he was the weakest of you....”

The six glared and Kagami wilted again. Aomine draped a protective arm around Kuroko, who had fallen asleep for real this time. “Damn it... Tetsu’s transferring outta Seirin.“ he grouched, “That idiocy of Bakagami must be contagious, because Seirin are all like that... and we can’t risk them harming Tetsu somehow.”

“Agreed, Aominecchi.“ Kise muttered.

The other _Kiseki_ nodded hurriedly, snuggling closer together, as Akashi threw Seirin murderous looks. Meanwhile, Momoi started muttering about papers, grades and transfer tests, in case they got the Phantom to agree to change schools.

Seirin glared harder at hearing that, but the Kiseki weren’t moving an inch from next to their beloved Phantom.

Meanwhile, the other teams just shared disbelieving and exasperated looks. The _Kiseki no Sedai_ were surely basketball geniuses (and the way they dissed Seirin suddenly _made sense_ , if Kuroko was who they said he was...), but they had to be somehow mentally damaged, because being so possessive of the Phantom and being such certified jerks in general (and Akashi and his scissors should not be forgotten either,) had to mean, that they should be in a mental institute by now.

Probably too much fame... or too much basketball...

**Author's Note:**

> As always, leave comments and tell me what you think! Thank you :3


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